by Becca Van
He paced about the room, trying to figure out how to find Jaylynn. He’d visited her house a lot over the years and while Sebastian had been earning decent money, he and his sister had lived frugally while paying off their deceased parents’ debts.
He clicked his fingers and smiled. “That’s it. She has to be earning a living somewhere. If I can hack into the IRS, I’ll be able to find her.” Jimmy shook his head. If he got caught he’d end up behind bars.
Maybe he’d do a state by state search on her name. He might just get lucky enough to find her on an employer’s website or in a local paper. He picked up his seat, sat, cracked his knuckles and got to work.
* * * *
Ajay grinned as he shook first Wilder’s, then Cree’s and finally Nash’s hand. “It’s great to see you all.”
“You, too.” Nash slapped Ajay on the back and then greeted his brothers.
“Come in and have some coffee.” Wilder held the door open.
Ajay gazed about the house as he followed Cree and Nash toward the kitchen. “This place looks great. Why hasn’t our home ever looked this good?”
Brax cuffed Ajay on the back of the head. “Because we don’t have a woman to make all those special little touches that make a house a home.”
“Speaking of which.” Cael quirked an eyebrow. “Where’s your wife?”
“Violet is part owner of the diner in town with two other amazing women. She’s cooking for the breakfast and lunch crowd,” Cree explained.
“We’re meeting her there to share a late breakfast with her since it’s our day off,” Wilder added.
They all sat around the dining table and sipped their coffee.
“Have you settled into your new house yet?” Nash asked.
“We have. We finished unpacking our stuff last night,” Ajay answered.
“When do you start work?” Wilder asked.
“Monday next week,” Brax answered. “We wanted a few days to familiarize ourselves with the town and surrounding county.”
“Once a Marine…” Cree trailed off.
“Always a Marine,” they all said simultaneously. “Hooyah.”
“If you don’t have any plans, why don’t you join us for breakfast at the diner?” Nash suggested. “You can meet Violet.”
“She’d have to be a hell of a woman to put up with you three.” Brax grinned.
Wilder, Cree, and Nash chuckled.
“She’s amazing,” Wilder said.
“Beautiful and sexy.” Cree waggled his eyebrows.
“She’s one of the strongest women I know,” Nash said as he tugged his cell from his pocket.
Ajay watched as his friend swiped over the screen and pulled a photo up. He sucked in a breath. “You lucky fucking assholes. She’s fucking gorgeous.”
“She is.” Nash smiled as Ajay passed the phone to his brothers.
“She looks as if a stiff wind could knock her from her feet,” Brax said.
Cree shook his head. “Violet’s stronger than she looks. She’s had to be.”
“Why do you say that?” Cael frowned as he handed the phone back to Nash.
Wilder sucked in a breath. “Long story short, her mom was killed in front of her when she was very small. She was kidnapped and raised in a cult, used as a servant with no rights. Those assholes were training young teenage girls in the art of sex by making them watch porn.”
Cree shook his head. “The sick fucks were taking the girls’ virginity without consent once they turned sixteen.”
“Son of a bitch,” Brax growled.
“Motherfuckers,” Ajay snarled.
“Fucking assholes.” Cael clenched his fists.
“Violet managed to escape before she was raped and ended up here. We met, fell in love and here we are,” Nash said.
“I’ll bet there’s a lot more to that story.” Brax crossed his arms over his chest.
“There is, but we’ll leave it for another time.” Wilder glanced at his watch. “We need to move or we’re going to be late.”
They all stood, and Ajay helped Nash take the mugs over to the sink, rinse them and put them in the dishwasher before following him to the front door.
“Are you guys going to join us for breakfast?”
“Yeah, but we need to stop in and see the boss first,” Brax said.
“We’ll see you at the diner then,” Cree said. “We’ll save you a seat.”
“You’d better.” Ajay grinned as he headed toward Brax’s truck. “I’m starving.”
“You’re in for a treat,” Wilder called out. “Those women are great cooks.”
“We’re looking forward to it.” Cael climbed into the back of the truck.
“I like this town,” Ajay said as he slid onto the front passenger seat.
Brax met his gaze and nodded as he started the engine and backed out of the drive. “I do, too. I have a really good feeling about relocating.”
“So do I,” Cael agreed.
“From what our boss Sheriff Luke Sun-Walker said, the diner isn’t that far away. Once we’ve collected our uniforms, we can lock them up and walk to the diner,” Brax suggested.
“Sounds good to me.” Ajay grinned.
“Me, too.” Cael nodded. “I love being out in the fresh air. This is wonderful after being in the Sandbox off and on for months on end.”
“That it is, bro. That it is.” Ajay hadn’t been this enthusiastic about anything for a long time. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled before seeing the Sheffield brothers again. Even though he and his brothers were now retired Marines, so were the Sheffields, and the camaraderie was still there after months of not seeing each other.
About twenty minutes later, Ajay, Cael, and Brax were stowing their new deputy’s uniforms in the truck. After Brax locked the vehicle, they started walking toward the diner down and across the street.
“This town has everything a person could need,” Ajay pointed out. “There’s a hotel/motel, the new hospital Nash told us about, several mechanic shops. A hairdresser, supermarket, two gas stations and the diner.”
“Don’t forget the clothes and lingerie shops.” Cael grinned. “I wonder if Violet frequents any of those stores.”
“You’d better not let Wilder, Cree, and Nash hear you say anything like that,” Brax said. “They’re likely to punch you out.”
“Nah.” Ajay shook his head and slowed his pace as they got closer to the diner. “I bet they go into the lingerie shop and buy things for her.”
“If she was my woman I’d be in there every other day.” Cael chuckled.
“I hope the both of you aren’t attracted to Violet. It’d be a useless endeavor since she’s already married.”
“I’m not,” Ajay said.
“Me either,” Cael replied. “We’re just having a little fun.”
Ajay glanced in the window of the diner and stopped dead in his tracks. A loud roaring set up in his ears and his knees nearly buckled when he saw a woman who looked exactly like Jaylynn. He blinked a few times and stared intently before sucking in a surprised breath. There was no way to mistake that sexy little body, auburn hair, or jade green eyes. He’d know that face anywhere. It had starred in his dreams for the last couple of years. He grabbed his brothers’ arms, spun away from the diner and walked a few paces away. He didn’t stop until they were out of view from the windows.
“What the hell, Ajay?” Brax frowned.
“Have you lost your mind?” Cael asked. “We’re supposed to be meeting our friends for breakfast.”
Ajay’s heart flipped in his chest and he was panting as if he’d just finished a ten-mile run. His palms were sweaty, there were nervous flutters in his belly and he couldn’t understand how he was still standing. He felt as if someone had just sucker punched him.
“What’s wrong, bro?” Brax asked. “You look as if you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“In a way I have.” He swallowed around the constrictive emotional lump in his throat. “I know whe
re Jaylynn is.”
“What?” Cael crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at him.
“How the hell could you know that?” Brax asked. “We haven’t seen her for just over twelve months, and she’s never once contacted us.”
“Prepare yourselves, brothers.”
“What are you trying to pull?” Cael grabbed Ajay’s shirt in his fist.
“She’s working in the diner,” Ajay said hoarsely.
“Are you shitting me?” Cael released Ajay’s shirt and leaned back against the brick wall.
“No. You know I’d never joke about Jaylynn.”
“She’s in there?” Brax asked incredulously. “Right now?”
Ajay nodded. “Yes.”
“Does she look okay?” Cael asked.
“As far as I can tell, but I only got a glimpse of her.” Ajay frowned. “She’s very pale and looks exhausted, and I think she’s lost weight.”
“Fuck, she was already slim.” Brax rubbed at the back of his neck. “She couldn’t afford to lose any weight.”
Ajay nodded. “I know, but just remember I only got a glimpse of her, so my assessment may be off. I wanted to prepare you both for seeing her.”
“I’m glad you did.” Cael placed a hand on his chest, over his heart. “My heart is racing and I’m not sure what I would have done if I’d gone in there without knowing she was here.”
“Me, too,” Brax said. “We have to keep our emotions out of this. There has to be a damn good reason why she ran off the way she did.”
“And if there isn’t?” Ajay asked.
“I guess we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it,” Brax answered.
“Are you both ready?” Cael glanced toward the diner. “I need to see her for myself. I just want to know that she’s happy.”
“Let’s go.” Brax nodded.
Ajay spun toward the door and took the lead with a brisk determined pace. Whatever was going on with Jaylynn, he intended to find out. Even if it took the rest of his life.
He paused outside the glass door and took a deep calming breath as he searched for Jaylynn. He exhaled slowly when he saw she was tending to some customers with her back toward them. Ajay pulled the door open and stepped inside, his brothers right behind him.
He spied the Sheffield men right away and grinned as he moved toward their booth. He took a seat, scooted over to make room for Brax and Cael, then placed a finger over his lips.
“What’s going on?” Cree asked in a whisper after he leaned forward.
“Our friend’s sister that disappeared has just shown up,” Ajay replied in a quiet voice.
“Are you shitting me?” Nash frowned.
“Where is she?” Cree asked.
“Did she call or text you?” Wilder asked.
Brax shook his head. “No, she’s right here, working in this diner.”
The three Sheffield men frowned.
Wilder crossed his arms over his chest, but quickly unfolded them before glancing about the room. He turned back to meet each of his brothers’ gazes before locking eyes with Ajay. “Are you talking about Jaylynn?”
“We are,” Cael said.
“Shit. She’s been here for around twelve months,” Wilder said.
“She’s a quiet little thing.” Cree rubbed at his chin.
“If we’d known the name of the woman you were worried about, we could have put your minds at ease,” Nash said.
“Doesn’t matter.” Brax leaned back against his seat. “We know where she is and that she’s okay. That’s what’s important.”
“From the way you three can’t take your eyes off of her, I’d say she’s very important.” Cree quirked an eyebrow. “Am I right?”
“You are,” Ajay replied.
“What do you know about her?” Cael asked. “Does she talk about where she’s from? Why she’s here?”
“We don’t know much,” Wilder answered. “She keeps to herself mostly. Don’t you know her that well? I thought you would since you were her pseudo guardians while her brother was serving.”
“We do know her, for the most part, but she changed after her brother died. She used to be so open and friendly, but then she closed up, became introverted after Sebastian’s death. We hated leaving her alone, but we were called up on mission after mission.” Brax shrugged. “You know how it is.”
“That we do,” Cree murmured.
“She’s about to turn around,” Ajay whispered. He kept his gaze on her and knew his brothers were watching her just as intently. She was walking toward them with a smile on her face, but Ajay realized the smile was fake because her eyes weren’t sparkling.
Her steps faltered when she glanced toward the booth they were sitting in and she came to a halt. Her face paled even further and when she began to sway on her feet, Ajay wished he wasn’t crammed in against the window, so he could get to her. She closed her eyes and murmured something under her breath and then opened her eyes again.
And then her knees started to buckle.
Brax jumped to his feet and caught Jaylynn in his arms before she could hit the floor. He lifted her up against his chest and frowned with concern down at her beautiful face. Cael and Ajay were on their feet seconds later, as were the Sheffield brothers.
“Shit!” Wilder squeezed Brax’s shoulder. “I think you’ve given her a great shock.”
Ajay didn’t say what was on the tip of his tongue. Nothing like stating the obvious.
“Bring her to the office,” Cree said before turning to lead the way.
“I’ll get her some water.” Nash followed behind. “It might be a good idea if I got Violet, too. If Jaylynn’s upset when she comes around, another woman might be able to calm her. Plus, they’re familiar with each other, and friends.”
“Good idea,” Cael said.
Ajay wished he was the one holding Jaylynn in his arms, but he was thankful it was Brax, and not another man. He didn’t want any other man other than him or his brothers touching their woman.
He clenched his jaw as he gritted his teeth.
They’d been attracted to Jaylynn for a couple of years but hadn’t been willing to break their promise with her brother to watch out for her. However, she was a mature woman now and it was time to make their move.
Ajay just hoped that she didn’t laugh right in their faces when they told her what they wanted with her. A loving relationship that would stand the test of time.
Now all Ajay, Brax, and Cael needed to do was convince her that they were the men for her.
It would break his heart if she rejected them.
Chapter Three
Jaylynn bolted upright and gasped. Heat suffused her cheeks when she blinked open her eyes and saw the people surrounding her. She’d been lying on the sofa and she could barely draw a breath when she realized how close Brax, Ajay, and Cael were. She couldn’t believe she’d fainted and was so embarrassed, she quickly lowered her eyes to her knees, gripping her hands and twisting her fingers together with nervous agitation.
She’d never fainted before, but put it down to the shock of finding the loves of her life sitting in the diner where she now worked. Had they tracked her down? How could they have found her? But the biggest question of all was why? Why had they searched her out? She was nothing to them, but her deceased brother’s little sister. Someone who’d been a burden to them when they’d needed to look out for her whenever Sebastian had been away fighting in wars.
“Look at me, baby,” Brax ordered.
Even though she didn’t want to meet his gaze, she found herself lifting her eyes to his. He was down on his knees, so close to her she could smell the amazing fragrance of his cologne. She’d never forget the manly-spicy scent of him and of his brothers. Ajay and Cael were crouching on either side of Brax, staring at her with worried expressions, but she wasn’t about to meet their gazes head on. It was bad enough being trapped by Brax’s intent brown eyes.
“Are you okay, Jaylynn? Are you sick? You don’t l
ook well. Haven’t you been taking care of yourself?”
She sighed with relief that he hadn’t asked her the question she expected him to, but she knew by the resolute expression in those amazing chocolate brown eyes that he would eventually.
When Brax covered her hands with his, she jolted and met his eyes again. She hadn’t noticed that she’d looked away from him. She nervously licked her lips and surreptitiously gazed at the other men watching her so avidly. Her face was so hot she was sure it had to be redder.
“Have you eaten anything today, Jaylynn?” Wilder asked in a firm voice.
She really, really wanted to lie and tell him yes, but for some reason the men of this town, as well as Brax, Ajay, and Cael knew whenever she was fibbing. Maybe she could redirect the concerned interrogation by asking a few of her own.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, briefly gazing at Cael, Ajay and then Brax.
Brax grasped her chin when she went to glance away again. “That’s not going to work, baby. You’re not leaving this room until you start answering some questions.”
She sucked in an annoyed breath, turning her face away, hoping to dislodge Brax’s hold on her, but he just firmed his grip, without hurting her. She threw her hands up into the air with frustration, secretly pleased when she knocked Brax’s finger and thumb from her chin. “I’m fine. No, I’m not sick and yes, I’ve been looking after myself.”
Ajay laced his fingers with hers. “And the other question you were asked.”
God save her from arrogant, determined men. It didn’t matter that she secretly liked the way her brother’s friends, or the men of Slick Rock, looked after her. She wanted more from life than friendly concern. Tears of grief burned her eyes. She’d never have the chance to be with the Rhodes men since they still saw her and treated her like a child. What was it about her that caused men to treat her as if she was a kid?
“Jaylynn, answer the fucking question,” Cael ordered.
She gaped at him. She’d never heard Cael so authoritative before. Usually it was Brax and Ajay giving her commands and expecting her to obey them without question. She wasn’t putting up with their shit any longer. She was a grown woman and could take care of herself. They might think they had authority over her, but they didn’t. While Sebastian, Cael, Brax, and Ajay had looked out for her, she’d been independent from a young age, out of necessity. Just because they’d looked in on her while Seb was deployed didn’t mean she was useless.
